The
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) announced that PATA Travel
Mart 2013 (PTM2013) and PATA Board Meeting will be hosted by the City
of Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China in September 2013, at its PATA’s
Executive Board Meeting on July 28, at the Hotel ICON, in Kowloon,
Hong Kong.
Mr
Martin J Craigs, PATA CEO, revealed this encouraging news over the
weekend at a memorable meeting of the new Executive Board, the
highest governance group within PATA. Mr Mu Tao, Deputy Director of
Chengdu Municipal Tourism Administration, together with other
officials from the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Exposition and the
Chengdu Culture & Tourism Development Group gave briefings on
Chengdu’s advantages in terms of geographical location and meeting
facilities.
As
the leading travel event in the Asia Pacific region, PATA Travel Mart
brings together hundreds of international buyers and sellers in one
marketplace and offers opportunities for travel industry stakeholders
to build their business through pre-scheduling appointments, dynamic
education programmes and social functions. Following Hong Kong,
Hangzhou and Macau, Chengdu is the fourth Chinese city to win the bid
to host PATA Travel Mart, and will be the first city to host PTM in
Midwest China.
Eng
João Manuel Costa Antunes, PATA Chairman, said: “It is refreshing
to see the increasing involvement of China in the organisation of
PATA key events. The successful bid of Chengdu to host PTM2013 is
very meaningful, not only because it will be the first time for a
main event of the association to travel to the Midwest of China, but
also because Sichuan will be able to show to Asia-Pacific travel
industry stakeholders its rich tourism resources and the amazing
reconstruction works done four years after the devastating
earthquake.”
Mr
Martin J Craigs, PATA CEO, said “PATA has been working closely with
Chengdu in many capacities over the past years including the
development of tourism training, co-branding a seminar on global
tourism trends and destination marketing. We are confident that
Chengdu can attract a good quality and quantity of international
visitors as well as buyers to PATA Travel Mart 2013. This is another
great reason to join the PATA next generation family and build your
business.”
Mr
Mu Tao, Deputy Director of Chengdu Municipal Tourism Administration,
said “Hosting PATA Travel Mart will boost the Chengdu’s brand and
image; it will also spur the continued growth of the business travel
and exhibition economy. Chengdu is one of the China most
multi-faceted tourist cities with abundant and innovative MICE
resources. In the urban area are Panda Base, Wuhou Temple, Du Fu
Thatched Cottage and Kuan & Zhai Lanes are the most-visited
attractions for international visitors. Mount Qingcheng, Xiling Snow
Mountain, Tianfu town and other scenic areas are within one hour's
drive. In collaboration with PATA, we are confident we will host a
particularly fruitful and memorable PTM in the City of Chengdu.”
